Our study asked the participants directly whether they considered diabetes to be a serious disease, the Diabetes Ratgeber survey asked participants for their opinion of the following statement: ‘Since diabetes can now be treated well with insulin or tablets, it is no longer a serious illness.’ Our study also found less agreement among respondents with and without diabetes that people with diabetes had caused their condition through their unhealthy lifestyle than was identified by the Diabetes Ratgeber study. Here, INS is linked to diabetes mellitus.